AMERICAN COWBOY ENTERTAINMENT
34th Gathering of Cowboy Poets Returns in August
The 2022 edition of the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering will take the stage at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center Aug. 11 to Aug. 13. One of Prescott’s most popular annual events, this year’s Gathering features more than 40 authentic cowboy poets and singers sharing the heritage and culture of the American cowboy for two days and three nights of entertainment. Headline performers include Dale Burson, Floyd Beard and Joni Harms. A collectible poster titled “Let ‘em in, Dad,” created by award-winning artist Valerie Kagounkin, will be available for purchase at the Gathering, as will raffle tickets to win an original framed giclee of the poster. Burson, a fourth generation Texas Panhandle rancher and awardwinning singer and songwriter, will take the stage Aug. 11, playing guitar, fiddle, mandolin and banjo.
22 Prescott NOW! July 2022
Burson runs cow-calf and yearling operations near Channing, Texas, and writes songs focused on ranch life and family values. In 2004 he was honored with the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for A Life More Than This. Beard, a Southeastern Colorado lifetime cowboy and sixth generation rancher, will headline the Aug. 12 performance. Drawing from his own experiences and observations of the Western way of life, this 2016 and 2017 IWMA Male Poet of the Year delights his audiences by bringing alive classic and humorous contemporary cowboy poetry. Harms will close out the evening performances Aug. 13 with her pioneering blend of musical sounds. The recent release of Lucky 13, her 13th studio album, has drawn rave reviews with Country Music People Magazine calling the selections
“some of the very best country songs of recent years and prove that Joni Harms is one of country music’s most underrated writers.” The Gathering offers free day sessions throughout the campus where attendees can meet cowboy poets and singers and enjoy stories of the culture and history of the American cowboy. “We’re thrilled to offer this event back at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center,” says Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering’s Board of Directors President Meg Savoini. “The culture of the real American cowboy lives on stage here every year, and it’s been an honor to bring this form of entertainment to locals and tourists alike.” Tickets are available by going to azcowboypoets.org or calling 928.776.2000 or 877.928.4253.